If something is free, it usually comes with a price. This is particularly the case with VPNs that restrict speed and data usage to entice customers to upgrade to paid plans. Some VPN providers are known to harvest bandwidth and sell it to anyone who desires it.
A quality VPN should offer reliable encryption, fast performance and a variety of advanced features not available in the free level. It should be easy to use, and without any restrictions that could hinder your internet-related activities, like streaming, downloading and videoconferencing.
The best free vpn providers should also be able to demonstrate a long-standing track record that is free of privacy issues and be located outside of the Fourteen Eyes Alliance. In addition, they should be backed up with a generous refund guarantee.
Some of the most widely-reviewed and widely used free vpn services include Proton VPN, Windscribe and TunnelBear. Proton VPN offers a free plan with no restrictions or limitations. It has decent speeds, access to three locations and offers powerful malware and ad blocking, along with streaming and P2P support.
Windscribe is a great free VPN service that gives you a generous 10GB of data per month, excellent performance and plenty of advanced features. The applications are well-engineered and packed with useful tweaks, tools and technologies as well as it has previously topped my free VPN speed tests, beating out several completely fee-based competitors.